SaqJohn Obi Mikel has shed light on Victor Osimhen’s failed transfer to Chelsea.
The Blues were keen to bring Osimhen to Stamford Bridge with a deal looking close after selling Romelu Lukaku to Napoli for around £30million.
However, the transfer did not happen and the 25-year-old joined Turkish giants Galatasaray on loan.
And Mikel has opened up on the deal, telling his The Obi One podcast: “I know what Victor wanted, I know what the club offered him, I know where we got to, we finally came to a compromise, both parties had to compromise, it was just little things here and there, paperwork, medicals and a few issues that we just couldn’t sort out and we didn’t have a lot of time.
“Both parties really played their part to get the deal done, and I commend Chelsea for that because I can see their ambition in terms of where they want to take this club now and also from Victor’s side, how much he really wanted to come to the club.
“He was disappointed that it didn’t happen. I spoke to him at the end of the transfer window, I called him, we talked for 20 minutes and I said, ‘Listen, I’m always here for you, you’ve got to keep your head down, you’ve got to keep working hard, keep training, I know it’s not the best situation at the moment, but I know you’re strong.’
“You know, Victor has a strong character, he’s a bit like Didier Drogba and Diego Costa and that’s something we’re missing at the club, strikers who have that cutting edge, who have that bite, who can intimidate defenders and Victor definitely has that.”
Arsenal have also been linked with Osimhen this summer, while the former Lille striker reportedly turned down a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli after having a £67.3million offer accepted by Napoli.
Mikel suggested there was no bad blood between the Blues and Osimhen, with a move to Stamford Bridge still a possibility in the upcoming transfer window.
“There’s absolutely no problem,” he said. “I think if we’re going to take this deal up again as I said, whenever that is, January or next summer, we know where we are, we know where we left off, there’s just a few little details to finalize and the deal will be done.
“So for me the club is very happy with Victor and Victor is very happy with the club.”
Mikel added: “He wants to come to Chelsea, he wants to help the club get back to where it should be, he knows he can score a lot of goals in the Premier League and what better place to do that than his boyhood club Chelsea.”
Paul Winstantley played a major role in the bid to bring Osimhen to west London, with Mikel confident the Chelsea co-sporting director will ensure the club sign the “right players” to bring success back to Stamford Bridge in the years to come.
“Paul Winstanley was really, really amazing,” Mikel said.
“I can tell you that this guy, the sporting director, is someone I’ve spoken to now and gotten to know really well. To hear him speak, it’s incredible, it’s refreshing to see where the club, where the owners, especially Paul, want to take the club, there’s so much to be happy about, there’s so much enthusiasm, they’ve got a vision and it’s a really great vision.
“They don’t just want to bring any player to the football club, it’s about bringing the right players, the players that can improve the team and the squad and I think Paul is at the top of that and from this transfer window onwards I think we’ll start to see the right players coming to the football club and that’s something that’s really, really pleasing to see.”
Saq
